Kaguro
Kaguro (火黒) was one of the strongest Ayakashi in Kokuboro (and therefore one of the few able to resist Byaku's control worms). Though he does not participate in the leaders' meetings, Kaguro has a great deal of influence among them, and is often sent to Karasumori in human skin to observe attacks on the Kekkaishi. Kaguro is eventually defeated by Yoshimori. Appearance Kaguro is always wearing a human skin disguise while in Karasumori: a tall, pale man with red eyes and dark hair. Though it is an older model and Aihi has designed more up-to-date ones, Kaguro prefers it, considering that the limits it places on his powers provides a fun challenge. When not in his human skin disguise, Kaguro appears as a mummy with large eyes with red irises and yellow sclera, and always wears a black robe with red, frayed trim. The exposed portions of his skin are badly burned, as his transformation into an Ayakashi greatly resembled him being struck by lightning. Personality Kaguro is calculating, sadistic, and cunning. He hangs back and observes in many battles, looking for a single opponent who captures his interest. Once found, he pursues and provokes them with mind games until the two meet for their final battle. He also enjoys manipulating the other demons in Kokuboro, and does not consider cutting them down a betrayal, because in his own words, he has no allies. Kaguro also has some sense of personal honor: he despises taking hostages and prefers to challenge enemies directly in combat. History Kaguro was once a skilled human swordsman named Genichiro Kuroda (黒田源一郎, Kuroda Gen'ichirō). He taught himself to use a sword and joined a dojo, becoming one of the top students. He competed with his friend and rival Sakai to be the master's assistant, but was never able to defeat Sakai. Kuroda was frustrated and wanted to become stronger, but didn't know how to go about it. Sakai told him that he was already strong because he never hesitated, and that if he simply wanted it badly enough, he could become stronger than anyone. Kuroda misunderstood Sakai's meaning and began challenging and killing the best swordsmen he could find. Kuroda was thrown out of the dojo, and some time after that encountered and fought a Kekkaishi. The Kekkaishi sensed the darkness within Kuroda, and proclaimed that the only reason that Kuroda could cut through Kekkai was because he was no longer human, but a demon, and as such, it was a Kekkaishi's job to destroy him. The Kekkaishi then used a Zekkai, but the very sight of it scared Kuroda away. Kuroda ran to a riverbank, where he found three Ayakashi on the other side. They invited him to cross over and join them, where he would become stronger, but Sakai suddenly appeared. Feeling responsible for Kuroda's rampage, he challenged Kuroda in an attempt to save his soul. Sakai nearly defeated Kuroda, but hesitated when he saw Kuroda's fear. Kuroda took advantage and killed Sakai, becoming an Ayakashi and gaining entrance to their world. At some point after this, he joined the Ayakashi group Kokuboro. Powers & Abilities Kaguro was among the strongest Ayakashi in Kokuboro: Byaku's worms could not control him, he had influence even among the organization's leaders, and all other demons were wary of him. Superior Swordsman: As a human, Kaguro was a highly skilled and motivated swordsman, and this was still true as an Ayakashi. *'Sword Generation:' As an Ayakashi, Kaguro had the ability to grow sword-length blades from virtually anywhere on his body (though he most often preferred his palms), and could strengthen them by channeling his desire to destroy into the blades (though they could destroy most Kekkai even at the lowest setting). *'Anti-Regenerative Damage:' According to Kyoichi Hiba, wounds caused by Kaguro's swords could not heal normally: cell activity in the impacted areas slowed down, so the wounds remained open far longer than they would normally. This would increase the chances of Kaguro's victims dying from blood loss. This ability even slowed down both Ayakashi Majiri and Ayakashi regeneration. Superior Speed: Kaguro moved so quickly that it was extremely difficult to target him. This was especially true for a Kekkaishi, who would need time both to target and create a Kekkai: moving closer would put them within range of Kaguro's swords, and at a distance Kaguro had even more time to read their movements. Master Strategist: Kaguro enjoyed toying with his opponents in battle, frequently taunting and enraging them. By doing this with Yoshimori, he discovered that the strength of a Kekkaishi's Kekkai depended more on their skill and feelings than their power. Trivia *Kaguro's name (火黒) means black fire. *Kaguro's appearance and personality are in great homage to the design of Shishio Makoto of the Rurouni Kenshin series. *Kaguro may also represent lightning speed, because he was turned into an Ayakashi with a lightning bolt in the anime. Category:Character Category:Villains Category:Men Category:Humans Category:Thunderbolts Category:Sadists